[mcmrymoon]

i have an 8 month old so i'm not ttc but i plan to somewhere down the road and i've just been thinking about this alot lately.<br><br>
my background:<br>
birth #1 - on my due date - my water broke with meconium in it. went to birthcenter. labored for 15 hours and stuck at 3cm. contractions had slowed down and no matter what i did they wouldn't get stronger. midwives decided i should go to hospital. put on pitocin for 3 hours. still stuck on 3 cm. docs decided to do a c-section. it was memorial day weekend - 1999<br><br>
birth #2 - may 2003 - had a choice to try vbac or have elective section. i really didn't know any better so i chose another c-section. my mom had 2 sections herself as did alot of my female cousins. i really just assumed it was a hereditary thing. (i hadn't discovered this board yet - MAN I WISH I HAD - i'm sure i would have tried vbac!!) this section was fairly normal except that ds had to be SUCTIONED out! he was probably ready to come out on his own anyway!!<br><br>
so - have i blown my chances for a vbac? don't they say that after 2 sections you have to have a 3rd no matter what? i recovered very quickly after both with no problems. in fact - i was back to work 2 weeks after my 2nd section!! neither baby was breech, i had picture perfect pregnancies (except for the common problems)<br><br>
any feedback?

 

[Colorful~Mama]

my son was born this past July by vba2c.<br><br>
My first cesarean was in 1989 - my water broke and i had no contrax. They started me on pitocin and i had an epi. I was fully dialated adn p ushing but the baby was wrapped in the cord around her neck and leg. I had an emergency csection.<br><br>
In 2000 I attempted vbac but I did not have a supportive obgyn and ended up again being induced with pitocin which led to an epi and another emergency cesarean.<br><br>
when I got pregnant with my son I found a midwife at a birthing center who was supportive of my choice to vba2c. I was not allowed to birth at the center due to liability issues (i'm over 35, overweight, have thyroid disease and 2 prior cesareans) but she was supportive of me vbac'ing at a hospital where she had privs.<br><br>
I read alot - I'd suggest Birthing from Within, the Thinking womans guide to a better birth, Silent Knife and the Vbac companion for starters. I also did some prenatal yoga, lots of swimming and hypnobirthing relaxation tapes to get my head in a good space.<br><br>
I stayed home as long as I could until I was in true active labor and arrived at the hospital four hours before giving birth naturally to my son <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br><br>
So yes, vaginal birth after two cesareans is indeed possible.<br>
My son is proof = and I'm really really glad that I got to experience a natural birth, even if it was in the hospital - the staff was very supportive.

 

[kcwilliams]

I highly recommend this website:<br><br><a href="http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/" target="_blank">http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/</a> and follow the links to Vaginal Birth after 2 or more cesareans, or click here for a direct link to that page:<br><a href="http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/CSANDVBAC/vbac_after_2_cs.htm" target="_blank">http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/C...after_2_cs.htm</a><br><br>
It is a terrific site, and not just for plus-size moms either.<br><br>
Cindy,<br>
usually a lurker

 

[mcmrymoon]

its good to know i can do it if i want to. considering vba2c is scary. also - what happens if i need a section after laboring - kwim? i'll have to deal with these concerns when and if the time comes. i did bookmark the resources.<br><br>
right now i need to convince dh that 3 kids are better than 2 (i won't even get into the 4 kids are better than 3!! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/wink1.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="wink1">)<br><br>
funny - the thought of another surgery scares me more than the thought of labor!!

 

[julie128]

See if you can find The VBAC Companion at your library. There's a story in that book of a woman who has a vbac after 7 csecs.

 

[UD_CHICK]

I"ve been contemplating a VBAC after 1 CB. Based on my research the one thing I would recommend is that you get good prenatal care. As far as I understand, the number of CBs increases, ther greater the risk for developing placenta problems. However, they can be diagnosed during the pregnancy - so that you don't have an emergency during birth.<br><br>
We're hoping to have 4 kids, so I'm very concerned about multiple CBs. You can also check out the Caserean support thread here at MCD. The ladies there have a lot of great info and are very supportive.<br><br>
Finding a supportive praticioner is also key!

 

[Defenestrator]

There was a woman in one of my childbirth classes who had a VBAC after 2 c-sections and succeeded. She was working with hospital-based midwives who had to jump through a lot of hoops to get permission to care for her, and after she pushed for 3 hours she had to transfer care to an OB, but she managed to birth her baby vaginally in the end.<br><br>
The fact that she had 2 c-sections made the caregivers treat her a lot more conservatively than they would have with only one previous surgery.<br><br>
I believe that many homebirth midwives would care for a woman who had two VBACs, but in states where midwives are licensed they may be prevented from doing so.<br><br>
Good luck!

 

[GranolaMoon]

I had a hba2c in December <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> #1 baby had a big head, facing front instead of back, had pitocin shoving him down, and his heart rate started dropping too low during contractions. #2 was a repeat C because I wasn't informed enough to question the ob. #3 was born at home. When pregnant with #3, like you, I could not stand the thought of another surgery, but the thought of labor hardly bothered me. The labor went beautifully I might add.<br><br><br>
In addition to the resources already suggested, I like <a href="http://www.ican-online.org" target="_blank">www.ican-online.org</a>

 

[Rachel Watson]

<p>I'm in about same situation.</p>
<p>c-section #1 in Sept 2000</p>
<p>c-section #2 in Sept 2012</p>
<p>thinking about next baby but really want to try vbac (I didnt know that was an option).</p>
<p>How far apart are your last 2 babies?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>

 

[SuperMiller]

<p>ABSOLUTELY!  I a friend of mine just did it and her oldest is only 3.  You're in a good position because you're not currently pregnant so you have plenty of time to do your research.  If she writes her vba2c story I'll forward it to you.  She was going to write a guest blog for one of the birth sites so I'll keep an eye out for it.  Best of luck! </p>

 

[Rachel Watson]

<p>Thank you for the reply! I really appreciate the info and the support! Please let me know more details about her story.<br>
Thanks!</p>

 

[courtney21597]

I'm hoping for a VBA2C in a few weeks...due 2/12/14! I'm with a very supportive doctor who routinely supports women with VBA2C as well as a long history of supporting women to vaginally birth who have had more than 2 prior C-sections.<br><br>
I'm involved with my local ICAN chapter, and they have been a great source of support for VBAC. If you google ICAN you will probably find a chapter in your area for more resources. The most important thing is finding a supportive provider.<br><br>
Best of luck to you in your journey!

 

[Nillarilla]

<p>I'm 32 weeks and planning a VBA2C. I have a Midwife for my care who is supportive and a doula who is knowledgeable and experienced. However I have to consult an OB on Monday because of the guidelines for the midwife. He apparently has to give a recommendation on which I should choose a VBAC or an ERCS. I am wondering what questions I should ask at this appointment? I'm going because I have to and I'm a little frightened that he could recommend against the VBAC and my midwife might be tied in what she can do. Any tips or thoughts?</p>